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With three Major titles by his name, over 700 ATP wins and almost 50 ATP trophies, Andy Murray has nothing more to prove! The 36-year-old refused to surrender when his troubled right hip almost ruined his career, battling and moving back into top-40.
Andy is 0-4 in 2024, losing the previous six matches on the Tour and raising concerns. However, the Briton is not ready to give up and call it a career, believing in his game despite a negative streak and lack of confidence.
Murray has lost six consecutive matches for the second time within a year, mirroring his career-worst streak and hoping to change his fortune in Doha and Dubai. If that does not work out, Andy is ready to play Challengers again, eager to regain confidence and find the rhythm.
Murray wrapped up the 2023 season at the Paris Masters, playing well against Alex de Minaur and forging a 5-2 advantage in the decider. The veteran squandered a match point on serve in game ten and dropped five straight games for a massive blow.
The Briton kicked off the new season in Brisbane, facing world no. 14 and one of the favorites, Grigor Dimitrov. The Bulgarian earned a hard-fought 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 triumph in just under two and a half hours. Grigor dominated with his first serve, defending three out of five break points and adding four breaks to his tally.
Andy produced five fine holds in the opener and grabbed a late break at 5-4 to wrap it up in style. They served well in the opening eight games of the second set before Grigor moved in front with his first break.
Andy pulled it back in the tenth game before losing serve again at 5-5.
Dimitrov saved break points in game 12, clinching the set 7-5 and gaining a boost ahead of the decider. World no. 14 grabbed two early breaks, moving 4-0 in front and sealing the deal with a hold in game eight. A five-time Australian Open runner-up could not repeat one of his famous Melbourne Park runs.
Andy faced the 30th seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the first round and experienced a heavy 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 loss in two hours and 23 minutes. The Argentine controlled the pace, firing 38 winners and outplaying the Briton behind the first and second serve.
Murray grabbed one break and struggled behind the initial shot, losing serve six times from 14 chances offered to his opponent.
Andy Murray is eager to extend his tennis journey despite struggles.
Etcheverry built the advantage in the shortest exchanges, attacking and bringing the victory home with a fine display, especially in sets two and three.
Tomas Martin survived a couple of challenges on serve in the opener and moved in front with a break in game seven following Andy's loose forehand. The Argentine held at love in game ten with an ace for 6-4. Murray lost serve two times in the second set while doing nothing on the return, finding himself 6-2 behind after Etcheverry's ace in game eight.
Tomas Martin delivered four fine holds in the third set, keeping the pressure on the other side. The Argentine broke the Briton in the fifth game and extended the advantage with a forehand winner in game seven.
Etcheverry sealed the deal with a hold at 15 in game eight, securing a notable victory and sending Murray packing.
Andy returned to Europe and entered an indoor event in Montpellier. He battled against Benoit Paire for two hours and 40 minutes in a 2-6, 7-6, 6-3 defeat, his fifth in a row. Murray fired 13 aces and claimed two points more than his rival.
The Briton grabbed four breaks and lost serve three times, two times in the decider. The Briton controlled the pace in the opener, serving well and delivering two breaks for 6-2 and a boost. Paire led 4-2 in the second set before Murray pulled the break back and reached a tie break.
The home player handled it and clinched it 7-5, forcing a decider and earning confidence. They traded early breaks in the decider, and Benoit survived break points in game five, remaining on the positive side. Andy squandered a game point at 3-4, losing serve and allowing Benoit to serve for the win at 5-3.
The Frenchman squandered match points before defending a break point. He seized the fifth match point to celebrate a rare ATP triumph and leave Murray with another blow. Andy met the young Czech Tomas Machac in the first round in Marseille, suffering a 7-5, 6-4 defeat in an hour and 37 minutes and notching his sixth straight defeat.
Tomas made the difference with the first serve, playing well behind the initial shot and defending two out of three break points.
They traded breaks in the first half of the opener, and Machac took charge in the closing stages.
The Czech clinched 12 of the final 15 points, earning a break in game 11 and wrapping up the opener on his serve in the next one. Machac forged an early advantage in the second set and denied a break point in game six. Tomas opened a 5-3 gap with a forehand down the line winner in game eight and moved over the top with a hold at love at 5-4.
"The only way to end the struggle is to start winning. However, it's not easy to translate the form from practice sessions to official matches. The easiest thing for me would be to call it a career. However, I love the gain, the training process and the competition.
If I have to, I will play Challengers. It's not easy for me to compete at the moment, but these losses do not affect my career and everything I achieved when I had two healthy hips. I can be competitive, as I showed in Beijing and Paris. However, the defeats bring the lack of confidence, the feeling I never had before," Andy Murray said.